President Erdoğan stated, "We plan to further expand our collaboration with Egypt to guarantee that the atrocities in Gaza stop as soon as possible and the Palestinian cause reaches a lasting and sustainable settlement."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed questions from journalists and made statements during his return flight from a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.
President Erdoğan expressed gratitude to President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt for their hospitality. He also mentioned that during his visit to the UAE, he attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai as a guest of honour.
In his address to the summit, he stated that he shared Türkiye's experience, which has made significant progress in the areas of political stability, solid governance, democracy, diplomacy, and the economy over the last 21 years, and that they also discussed Türkiye's position on the Gaza issue and the Palestinian cause, as well as their proposals for a lasting peace.
President Erdoğan stated that peace cannot be achieved until Israel recognises the Palestinian people's fundamental rights and establishes a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders. He also cited Israel's illegal, inhumane policies of occupation, persecution, and massacre as the root cause of the conflict in the region.
President Erdoğan stated that they discussed bilateral relations, which have gained momentum in every field, with President Al Nahyan of the UAE and added:
"We especially expressed our satisfaction that our trade volume exceeded 20 billion dollars last year. We decided to increase this sum by sustaining the momentum of our partnership. We intend to hold the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council, which we established last year, in Türkiye as soon as possible. Energy and investment issues, as well as defence industry projects, were high on our agenda. We got together with senior executives from foreign investment firms to assess the potential of our country. Because, as part of this summit, I met with my peers from participating countries. In this context, we held meetings with President Muizzu of the Maldives, Prime Minister Dbeibeh of Libya, Prime Minister Barzani of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, and President Kagame of Rwanda.''
"Sisi to visit Türkiye"
Recalling that they had travelled to Cairo following their visit to Dubai, President Erdoğan said, "This visit, which we made upon the invitation of President Sisi of Egypt, was also very sincere, productive, and successful. I was especially delighted that Mr Sisi and his companions personally met us at the airport and welcomed us."
Stating that they had discussed the relations that have recently gained momentum in every sector, including the military and defence, during their talks with Sisi, President Erdoğan said that they agreed to hold the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting as soon as possible.
President Erdoğan announced that Sisi will visit Türkiye in April or May following his inauguration ceremony, which is scheduled for early April.
Emphasising their resolute commitment to achieving the trade volume objective of $15 billion with Egypt, Türkiye's largest trading partner on the African continent, President Erdoğan said, "We exchanged views on both bilateral and regional issues, with a particular focus on Palestine. We plan to further expand our collaboration with Egypt to guarantee that the atrocities in Gaza stop as soon as possible and the Palestinian cause reaches a lasting and sustainable settlement."
"We discussed increasing humanitarian assistance to Gaza"
Stating that Egypt holds a unique position in providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, President Erdoğan said, "We have consistently collaborated closely with our Egyptian brothers and sisters in delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Once more, I would like to express my gratitude to them for the convenience they have provided in the delivery of assistance to Gaza.''
Stating that they also discussed the prospect of sending more humanitarian assistance and healthcare services to Gaza during their talks, President Erdoğan noted:
''I conveyed to Mr Sisi our appreciation and support for Egypt's persevering position against Israel's policy of displacing the people of Gaza from their homeland. Without a doubt, our cooperation with Egypt will make a substantial contribution to the peace, tranquillity and stability of our region. We are especially delighted that our Egyptian brothers and sisters share this viewpoint of ours. I hope that our visits will be auspicious. I would like to express my gratitude to the leaders of both nations for their gracious reception of me and my delegation."
"Humanity must heed this cry"
President Erdoğan answered journalists' questions after his statements.
In response to the question, "You stated that in Egypt, you deliberated on the predicament of civilians in the Rafah region. Israel is planning to attack the place. Israel is disregarding warnings coming from China to the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States. Was this matter discussed during your bilateral meeting? Furthermore, the capacity to provide assistance to Gaza is extremely constrained; what measures will be implemented with regard to assistance?" President Erdoğan said, "There are some positive developments regarding the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. We engaged in a discussion regarding these developments with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt. He stated that pressure on Israel regarding this matter would persist."
Stating that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is also continuing the necessary dialogue, President Erdoğan said:
"The majority of our meetings will be with Mr. Sisi and Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. And US officials say they will 'continue to put pressure on Israel on this issue'. Aid trucks that have reached Gaza number between 200 and 250; however, this is insufficient. It is said that this will increase to 500–600 trucks. It is only when we reach this figure that we can talk about a solution to the needs. On the other side, Israel's assaults in the Rafah region remain as abhorrent as ever. The matter was also deliberated upon with Mr Sisi. 'We cannot compromise on the security of the people there,' we declared. Think about it: telling civilians, 'Go to this area; it's safe there,' and then dropping bombs over there. Does it have anything compatible with humanitarian principles, the law of war, international law, and human rights? Humanity must heed this cry as soon as possible. The disgrace and responsibility associated with remaining silent regarding this genocide are huge. Those who turned a blind eye to the blatant massacre of those people will be judged by history. Those who authored this genocide have already been declared guilty before history.
"We maintain our efforts for lasting peace."
Upon the question, "Many institutions, organisations, and countries, particularly the United Nations, are cognizant of Türkiye's stance and perspective regarding a ceasefire and lasting peace in Gaza. Can we learn how Türkiye's policy resonated on a global scale?" President Erdoğan noted, "It was through the reactions of both us and our friends and the peoples of various parts of the world that the isolation of Israel at the United Nations General Assembly was ensured. However, the bloodshed has not yet ceased at the present stage. Israel's brutal assaults are still ongoing."
Stating that officials of some Western countries have just recently begun to speak out the sentences that they started to formulate in the days when these attacks started and then constantly repeated, President Erdoğan said, "Regrettably, the calls for peace remain inconclusive due to the negative stance of the United States of America. The US says that it has dispatched some of its senior officials to the region, ostensibly to resolve this issue, but to no avail. Even though this is the case, we persist in our efforts to achieve a ceasefire and establish peace. That's because we have no other way out."
President Erdoğan stated that whenever officials from the West made contact, they expressly mentioned these issues to them and added:
"We tell them, 'Let's engage in some initiatives; maybe we will achieve certain results then.' We also notice how certain countries that took sides with Israel at the outset of the process are now in a state of remorse. We maintain our efforts for lasting peace. The world can no longer ignore the fact that the solution is the establishment of an independent, sovereign and geographically integrated Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Türkiye advocates not only for its Palestinian brothers and sisters but also for human rights, peace and international law. Türkiye has demonstrated its sincerity over this issue in its purest form. This distorted structure of the global system that paves the way for new massacres must be modified, and effective oversight mechanisms must be established."
"Steps will be taken in due course"
In response to the question, "Your meeting with President Sisi during your visit to Egypt was closely monitored by the world. So can we assert that a new epoch has commenced in the relations between Türkiye and Egypt?" President Erdoğan said:
"Türkiye and Egypt are two important countries in the region. For 12 years, we had been out of contact. With the mediation of Emir Sheikh Tamim of Qatar during the World Cup, we came together and started the normalisation process. This visit to Egypt took place at the insistent invitation of Mr Sisi. I proposed that we should take the step and convene our High-Level Strategic Council Meeting. He agreed to this proposal. Our Foreign Ministers will continue their contacts. Most probably, Mr Sisi will come to Ankara in April or May for a return visit. We have deep-rooted ties with Egypt, both culturally and historically. We share not only the same history but also the same sea with Egypt, and the importance of that sea in the global equation increases day by day. Foreign policy, though, is built and managed based on mutual interest.
Therefore, it is in the interest of both countries to take synchronised steps in the same direction. Both the Egyptian side and we are aware of this reality, and the new era is being built on this solid foundation. There are critical challenges ahead, and we do not know what unforeseen difficulties await the world in the future. That is why we have to be united today to preserve peace and quiet in our region and the world. There are areas of cooperation that would develop both countries, and steps will be taken in due course."
"The PUK administration continues to embrace the PKK/YPG/PYD terrorist organisation"
Upon the question, "You stated that you met with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government. Ankara has been warning Sulaymaniyah about the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation for a while. However, both Sulaymaniyah and Bafel Talabani continue to support the terrorist organisation. How will Türkiye respond to this attitude of Sulaymaniyah? Recently, there have been consecutive visits by Hakan Fidan, İbrahim Kalın and Yaşar Güler. We are curious about the behind-the-scenes of these visits. Will there be a joint fight against the terrorist organisation with Iraq within the framework of your meeting with Barzani?" President Erdoğan said: "Türkiye acts as a friend to those that approach friendly. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler and Director of National Intelligence Ibrahim Kalın visited Iraq in a row. These visits alleviated the tensions arising from these unfavourable developments in Iraq, and positive developments have been observed in the relationship between Türkiye and Iraq regarding initiatives related to both the central government and northern Iraq."
"As long as we maintain honesty and integrity and refrain from compromising, particularly by allowing the establishment of a terrorist enclave right at our borders, we are ready to take any necessary steps in this region in collaboration with our neighbours," President Erdoğan said and added:
"No one will show the level of respect for the territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria that we will demonstrate. We have repeatedly warned Sulaymaniyah about this negative approach. We said, 'We notice some emerging and different organisations here; don't give them a chance, or you will be on your own.' This is because Sulaymaniyah is a place where we are constantly in contact and our cognates are living. We have achieved progress with the Erbil administration in fighting terrorism. However, despite numerous warnings, the Sulaymaniyah, namely the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) administration, unfortunately, continues to embrace the PKK/YPG/PYD terrorist organisation. We raised this issue in the meeting we just had, and we warned them. No one should expect a different stance from us. We will provide the necessary response. We cannot overlook this matter. We are taking and will continue to take every possible step. While we may tolerate various issues, when it comes to our dignity and national security, we close the doors to tolerance completely and take whatever actions are necessary. If the aim is to harbour hostility towards us, we have responses to that as well and have measures in place, and we will not hesitate to take even more stringent actions if necessary."
"It's a win-win project"
When asked, "Did this visit produce any tangible outcomes concerning the Development Road Project, such as a schedule you would be willing to follow?" President Erdoğan said, "The Development Road Project is a major project in which the UAE Government, Iraq and Türkiye are involved. Northern Iraq is sensitive about this project. Likewise, we are sensitive too. We are also taking steps for that."
Pointing out that this was definitely one of the topics when they met with the Abu Dhabi administration, President Erdoğan said:
"Allah willing, we will settle this in the most ideal manner. In our previous meeting, President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates suggested that we set a deadline of 60 days and that all our friends and relevant departments go beyond planning and start designing projects. Our Minister of Transportation Abdulkadir Uraloğlu is currently in talks with his counterparts. Hopefully, these efforts will move from project and plan to implementation, and Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq will be the main actors in this issue. We will continue our work in this way. This road will become a new Silk Road in our region and will serve regional peace. This road, which will provide access to the Persian Gulf and its peripheral countries to the European market through Türkiye, is a 'win-win' project."
In an interview with a Western journalist for the first time in two years, President Vladimir Putin of Russia described the events with Ukraine under Türkiye's mediation: "Just as we were reaching an agreement, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped in. He misled Ukraine, and there was no peace." Reminded of his remarks, President Erdoğan said:
"There is sincerity in these statements of Mr Putin, to put it bluntly. We have taken all sincere steps in these talks, which we will call the Istanbul process. My ministerial colleagues have held talks with the Russian side on this issue. We worked in a result-oriented way, but somehow, peace could not be established. But we cannot just walk away because we did not get results here. We will not give up the search for peace."
"We have facilitated the achievement of tangible outcomes that serve peace"
Stating that they will continue to do whatever they can to ensure peace, President Erdoğan said, "We worked together before former Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK withdrew his hand from the peace efforts, we continued our efforts, but to no avail. Recently, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Cameron of the UK visited us, and we discussed these issues with him. If Mr Putin meets with us one-on-one during this process, or if Russia's relevant ministers are also involved, we will follow up with them and try to get outcomes."
"To date, we have facilitated the achievement of tangible outcomes that serve peace in the Ukraine-Russia war," President Erdoğan remarked, pointing out many crucial events, including prisoner exchanges and the grain corridor.
Prominent for their track record of effectively reconciling the parties in Türkiye on multiple occasions, President Erdoğan urged, "With solution-focused process management that is independent of external influences, we can achieve this once more and unlock the door to peace."
Informing that they maintained this pursuit during their discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Erdoğan said, "From the very beginning, we have consistently advocated for the notion that a just peace is preferable to military conflicts, and we strive to take on each step with this understanding in mind. Without question, we will ultimately find a means to achieve peace so long as we wish for it."
Türkiye-US relations
Upon the question, "Can we speak about a favourable climate between Ankara and Washington following Türkiye's approval of Sweden's NATO membership? Could this favourable climate potentially yield favourable outcomes regarding controversial issues, including FETO, PKK/YPG, S-400, and F-35?" President Erdoğan replied, "The most recent steps we have undertaken have led to certain positive developments between our country and the United States."
President Erdoğan stated that the current mood in Congress is optimistic and that positive sentiments are voiced by the Senate, adding:
"We could argue that the list of issues on which we think alike or agree with the US is growing. At this time, any negative trend is absent; rather, a positive development is noted. Additionally, the relevant ministers inform their Turkish counterparts that favourable developments are occurring in this regard. This information is being provided to Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, and Director of National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) İbrahim Kalın. 'Every effort is being made on our part. You saw Mr Biden's letter with a wet-ink signature,' they said. And we said, 'You also saw our approval document that bears a wet-ink signature. Above all else, you acknowledged and expressed much gratitude for our parliament's decision. We expect you to take things from here,' and we keep moving forward. Likewise, the Prime Minister of Sweden contacted us to express gratitude for this, which serves as confirmation that our progress is favourable."